Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-03-08
Hospitals.

EDITOR HERALD-The man who has Q
home and wife, mother, sister or other
kindred to nurse him and minister to his
needs and wants, when he is sick or
otherwise physically disabled, is indeed
fortunate. To one who is homeless and
imi arly afflicted, an invalid hospital 10
blessed home of rest. 1t was my hap.
py lot, on coming to your city, some
weeks ago, worn weary and sick, to be
placed in st. Vincent's Sanitarium-the
Sisters Hospital. In my walks through
its long and wide corridors. in and out
many of its rooms, and inquiring into the
general management of this noble insti-
tuition, was enabled to, at least, Judge
for myself of its merits. Everything IN
and about it moves with the most precise
exactness, and with perfect order aud
reguiarity-no noise, no confusion, moth;
ing harsh or discordant. No partiality
is shown to any one; all are treated alike,
no matter whether Pagan, Jew or Cen
tile. The prices are so adj justed that
the poor man is accommodated in Just
proportion to the rich. The rooms are
large, well lighted and ventilated, the
furniture neat, and the beds marvels of
cleanliness. The table is excellent.
When the already elegant grounds sur.
rounding it are n ore elaborately adorned
and cultivated-a work now in progress
and the two wings in contemplation are
added, it will be the most complete, and
by far the largest hospital on the coast.
Here then, we bsheld practical illus
tra,ion of one of the many fruits Of
beniticent Christian civilization. How
sharp is the contrast between it and the
boasted civilization of ami Christian
pagan. heather classic times! Let us
compare little, for "by their fruits
shall We know them" Take for example
the renowned city Of Athens, the very
cradle of philosophy, the fountain head
of art, eloquence and learning. The
student of the academy" sitting under
the teachings of Plato or an Aristotle.
| walking in meditation through the
"ncade my groves" or standing on the
hill of the "Acropolis," no doubt often
looked ou', in wonder and admiration,
over the queenly. beautiful city; at its
arches, columns, palaces and temples,
its gorgeously magnificent villas, its gar
dens and groves, adorned with fountains
and statues, but his eyes res ted not on
single asylum or hospital. What is the
outlook there now? The schools Of
philosophy closed-adjourned sine die
2OOO years ago. The academy no longer
exists, and arch and column, palace and
temple are tottering to ruin in an almost
voiceless solitude. Come down now,
from the palmy days of Paganism, to
the dawn Of the new era, when "The
Man of Sorrows" founded the system
from which have sprung so many instt.
tutions of benevolence, charity and
mercy. Look along the course Of TIE
centuries, down which Christianity is
making her long, ceaseless, tireless
march. In every city where the cross
is planted arise schools and colleges of
Christian learning-of Christian philoso-
nhv. churches, asylums and hospitals
for The sick, lame, blind, aged. and help
less infants aud orphans. Where can we
find the slightest traces of such institu-
tions under Pagan civilization? Not one
ever existed. Cease then, ye shallow
philosophers-ye modern skeptics, cease
vour idle, senseless talk and scrlbblings
about what you derisively term "Chris-
tian superstition" Go and view the
crumbling edifices, mouldering relics of
your dead Pagan civilization. Look ON
its grave and bedew it with your briny,
crocodile tears. Christianity viii flour-
ish with undiminished splendor and
vigor, ages and ages after the names Of
Plato and Aristotle are forgotten, and
Paganism's grandest monuments are
dust. HoMELEss WANpKRKR,